Introduction:
Long before the electric guitar became the emblem of British rock culture, The Shadows were already carving their place into history. As Britain’s first true guitar heroes, they shaped the sound, style, and spirit of an entire musical generation. Ahead of a new BBC Four documentary, The Shadows at Sixty, music fans are once again invited to rediscover how a group of sharply dressed young musicians redefined what a British band could be.
At the center of it all was Hank Marvin — a tall, bespectacled teenager whose shimmering tone and melodic finesse stunned audiences when “Apache” soared to No. 1 for five weeks in 1960. Marvin’s clean, expressive lines arrived like nothing the British public had heard before, and together with the iconic synchronized stage moves of The Shadows, the band created an image and sound that resonated across the nation. Over time, they would accumulate an astonishing 69 UK hit singles, including 35 of their own and 34 as the backing band for Cliff Richard.
The new documentary features luminaries such as David Gilmour, Brian May, and Pete Townshend, each acknowledging Marvin as a formative influence. “He was the first guitar god,” recalls rhythm guitarist Bruce Welch. Even Jimi Hendrix, Welch notes, approached Marvin with the respect reserved for a pioneer — a testament to how widely his impact was felt.
Yet Marvin himself remains characteristically modest. Speaking from his home in Perth at age 78, he reflects, “Looking back, I think I was pretty rubbish, actually. To begin with, anyway, there was so much luck involved.” Raised in Newcastle and born Brian Rankin, Marvin had only recently switched to guitar when he and Welch headed to London at sixteen in search of opportunity. What followed would become a classic origin story: nights playing in the cellar of the 2i’s Coffee Bar, a chance encounter with a manager seeking a guitarist for Cliff Richard, and a partnership that would cement their place in British pop mythology.
As The Shadows evolved, their sound sharpened with the arrival of bassist Jet Harris and drummer Tony Meehan, and their name — inspired by their position behind the spotlighted Cliff — became iconic. A pivotal moment came when Richard gifted Marvin a Fender Stratocaster, the same sleek instrument favored by Buddy Holly. Its tremolo arm unlocked the expressive vibrato that would become Marvin’s signature. Suddenly, British rock had its first distinct electric voice.
Through the Sixties, The Shadows became household names, though their clean-cut image soon contrasted with the wave of beat groups they helped inspire. “The Beatles didn’t just change music, they changed society,” Welch remembers. Yet admiration ran both ways; Marvin recalls early meetings with the young Beatles and immediately sensing their vast potential.
Though the band dissolved in 1968, nostalgia and admiration brought them back for reunions, most notably their triumphant 50th anniversary tour in 2009. Today, the fascination with their music remains strong. From soft-rock pioneers to heavy-metal players, musicians continue to trace their roots to Marvin’s unmistakable sound.
“I think of the guitar in terms of a voice,” Marvin says. “I just wanted to make it sing.”